Conditions at Pipe in January
January: Midsummer South Swell and the Battle of the Breezes
January is summer at its peak. Air temperatures average 21.9°C (min 15.6°C / max 35.7°C), water temperature is a warm 20.4°C, and rainfall is low at 1.38 mm/day, so the beach is inviting even when the surf is not cooperating. The average swell height is 6ft (1.9m) with a period of 10.8s, and the wind window is ideal 25% of the time. Swell energy is dominated by the SSW quadrant at 29.6%, followed by S (16.9%) and SW (13.7%), with a secondary ESE/SE mix of around 17%. The problem is that Pipe's preferred NNO-NO-ONO-O swell corridor is basically empty in the data, which means the break has to make the most of mid-period SSW/SW lines. ENE wind (9.3%) and E wind (18.5%) are persistent and will regularly chop up the face; however, offshore SSW (7.1%), SW (12.4%), WSW (15.9%) and W (5.3%) winds add up to a very solid window for clean conditions. When one of those offshore windows lines up with an overhead SSW groundswell set, January can still serve up fun, rippable peaks at 6-8ft (2-2.5m).
Average Spot conditions at Pipe in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Pipe during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Pipe for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Pipe for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Pipe.